all for Jesus ...

"What about you? What precious perfume is locked inside your heart that could be lavished on our Lord? The little treasures you and I struggle to hold on to may hold back opportunities to worship Him with extravagant praise, releasing ministry and service to Him that will bless all those around us."Angela Munizzi

Thursday, August 5, 2010

the whiteboard of forgiveness

i love dry erase boards, especially when they are new. i also love ye olden faithful boards of slate that require squeaky chalk and puffy erasers. but those pristine white boards call out to me. the best part? they are snazzy and a snap to clean! compare along with me.

chalkboard: a chokey dust covering the board in filmy white or yellow. haul out the sponge, make sure it's good and wet, and mop over every bit of the board. if you want to keep your board perfectly clean, you would need to go through this procedure every time you use it. (and don't forget to clap the erasers outside to get out as much chalk dust as you can, but once used, they will never be pure again.)

whiteboard: having used your especial markers, the board is filled with many colors - but too heavy on the black! oh, no!

no worries. whip out the dry eraser, swipe away, and before you know it, the board is dazzling white once again. quick and easy, with ... and this is the best part ... no residue.

a chalkboard is how i see maintaining a holy life. as i live my life and it is recorded on the tablet of my heart, i find so much each day that grieves both me and my Lord. i try to "be good," do everything right, follow all the rules, but still the markings of my humanity remain.

so i try to erase them in order to make myself clean again. i scrub the slate, soak the sponge, blow off the dust, and clap those erasers until my eyes water - and, still, with all that hard work, evidence will remain.

i keep one in my office to remind me of how God chooses to forgive me after i've scribbled my messy sins (especially in black) all over His holiness. Jesus comes along and swipe ... it's gone ... as far as the east is from the west. as my prayer reflects my repentant heart, swipe ... it's gone. quickly, i can be pure once again. dazzling white!